The pictures are poignant: House after house destroyed by a wildland fire. We look at these pictures and wonder if anything could have been done to better protect these homes.

Sometimes wildfires are unpredictable. But there are measures homeowners can take that will help lessen the chances a fire will consume their property.

“People who live in a wildland-urban interface often forget or disregard the wildland fire cycles and dangers,” said Tom Harbour, Fire and Aviation Management director. “We need homeowners to understand that they can make a difference by making their homes defensible from wildfire.”

The U.S. Forest Service partners with the National Fire Protection Association on Firewise Communities, a program that teaches people how to adapt to living with wildfire and encourages neighbors to work together and take action now to prevent losses.

Equally impactful as seeing scores of homes lost to wildfires are those photos showing flames of a fast-moving fire passing over or halting to an invisible line. Sometimes that invisible line is the product of a homeowner intentionally designing landscaping that is based on Firewise practices.

A large plume of smoke rises over Colorado Springs, Colo., that cast a wide, dark shadow over homes and businesses. Wildland fires burn intensely and creating a defensible space around your home can be the difference between a close call and complete destruction. (Adam Drake/Inciweb.org)

Fire Adapted Communities, a coalition that includes the Forest Service and Firewise, released a case study about the Waldo Canyon Fire that began on Pike National Forest and spread to nearby Colorado Springs, Colo. Last year, this wind-whipped fire caused the death of two people and destroyed 346 homes in a community where more than 35,000 homes are within the wildland-urban interface.

At the time Waldo Canyon was considered the worst fire in Colorado’s history, but it could have been even worse. While devastating, several years of community education, projects and planning are credited with helping to save 81 percent of the homes in the three neighborhoods threatened by the fire – made worse by extremely dry conditions and high winds. It was, one fire official said, an urban inferno.

Today, Colorado Springs-area firefighters and residents are in the midst of the Black Forest Fire, now called the most destructive fire in Colorado history. To date, the fire has consumed more than 14,000 acres, destroyed more than 480 homes, damaged more than 15 and killed two people. As of Monday, the fire was 75 percent contained and is believed to be human caused.

Matt Cyrus knows the personal and professional benefits of taking precautionary measures to protect a home before a fire. Ironically, Cyrus, a captain with the Cloverdale (Oregon) Fire Protection District, was the first responder on the scene of a fire on his property. But he felt he had less to worry about because he had prepared for many years to defend his property against fire. The fire burned as expected but did not harm his home.

Don’t forget to clean anything stored underneath decks and porches and remove vegetation as a precaution against wildland fires. Leaves, twigs and other debris act as fuels that feed a blaze. Keep leaves and needles off of your roof and deck and make a fuel-free area within 3-5 feet of your home’s perimeter. (Photo used by permission from the National Fire Protection Association Firewise Communities Program)

So how did he do it?

Look closely at a firewise property such as Cyrus’ and you will see a common theme: defensible space stretching at least 100 feet from a structure and in some cases a couple of hundred feet. These firewise yards are surrounded by grass, rock or evergreen ground cover, and in some instances even dirt. This “empty space” creates an area of land where the high intensity heat has nothing to burn, compared to a home surrounded by trees, bushes, sheds and other combustible items.

Although the Forest Service and other federal, state and local crews work hard to protect residents, property, infrastructure and natural resources from wildfire, homeowners ultimately have a responsibility to their own property.

You and your community can prepare for wildfire to help not only yourself and your family, but also the firefighters who put their lives in harm’s way to fight wildfires.

Robert Westover is a public affairs specialist with the U.S. Forest Service in Washington, D.C.

Share this story:

COMMENT POLICY: We welcome comments from individuals and businesses. All comments are moderated. Comments are subject to rejection if they are vulgar, combative, or in poor taste.
REAL NAMES ONLY: All posters must use their real individual or business name. This applies equally to Twitter account holders who use a nickname.

Leave a Comment

All opinions and ideas are welcome. Factually inaccurate, libelous, defamatory, profane or hateful statements are not.
Your words must be your own. All commentary is subject to editing for legibility. There is no length limit, but the shorter,
the better the odds of people reading it. "Local" SCV-related topics are preferred. Send commentary to: LETTERS (at) SCVNEWS.COM. Author's full name, community name, phone number and e-mail address are required. Phone numbers and e-mail addresses are not published except at author's request. Acknowledgment of submission does not guarantee publication.

If left uncontrolled, diabetes can lead to some really bad outcomes, including kidney problems, glaucoma and other eye disorders, foot ulcers, amputation of feet or legs, stroke, diabetic coma, and even death.

Many shocking surprises have shown up around the world as the ice melts. We’ve found a perfectly preserved baby woolly mammoth, a field of dead reindeer that died of anthrax, and then last year, infected people in Russia, and in Alaska, an Air Force plane that disappeared was finally found in the Colony Glacier. It had crashed in 1952, killing everyone on board.

When President Donald Trump ordered Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke to review the status of 27 national monuments created by three former presidents, many across the nation took it as a call to action to advocate on behalf of the monuments closest to their homes, and their hearts.

Le Chene French Cuisine, a long-time Santa Clarita local favorite restaurant along Sierra Highway, has announced that they will be hosting a thrilling Murder Mystery Dinner on Saturday, November 4th, 2017.

Signups are under way for the Santa Clarita Walk to End Alzheimer’s, which offers participants an opportunity to take a healthy stroll, experience outstanding live entertainment, honor loved ones who have been affected by Alzheimer’s and raise funds to battle the debilitating disease.

Trammell Crow Company (TCC) andand Clarion Partners are pleased to announce the acquisition of 54 acres of land for the development of The Center at Needham Ranch, a state-of-the-art business park in the city of Santa Clarita, CA.

For the first time in 99 years, a total eclipse of the sun will pass over the continental United States on August 21, and Princess Cruises guests sailing on six cruise ships in Alaska will be invited to special viewing parties as part of the cruise line’s exclusive Stargazing with Discovery at Sea program.

Caltrans today announced that 32 major “fix-it-first” transportation projects can be accelerated a year earlier than planned thanks to anticipated funding from Senate Bill 1 (SB 1), the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017.

Tonight on SCV NewsBreak, Sheriff’s deputies are continuing to conduct burglary suppression operations in our valley. Plus, Representative Steve Knight sat down with local law enforcement to discuss the current state and future role of policing in the SCV. Watch these stories and more on tonight's edition of SCV NewsBreak.

Senator Scott Wilk, R- Antelope Valley, today submitted a letter to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation during a public comment period regarding proposed regulations that could lead to the early release of dangerous "nonviolent" inmates and diminish victim rights.